New DNA Test Predicts Eye Color

A team of Dutch scientists have developed an eye color test that can determine a suspect’s eye color from a DNA sample left behind at a crime scene, a news article reports.

This new test will help investigators identify potential suspects in cases where a DNA profile from crime scene evidence does not have a match in existing DNA databases. However, the test alone cannot be used as evidence towards a conviction in court, because it only has an accuracy of 94%.

Eye color is one of the many external features scientists are investigating with the hope of developing tools in the field of DNA forensics. Physical characteristics can be controlled by one gene, or a combination of genes, which makes some features easier to decode than others. The field of DNA forensics continues to evolve at an exciting pace, and the possibility of creating a physical sketch based on DNA evidence is real, albeit far off into the future.

DNA Diagnostic Center’s Forensic Division continues to monitor these developments in the field. As a leader in forensic DNA services, our forensic scientists have worked with many legal and law enforcement professionals, providing case consultation and DNA testing.